It seems like only yesterday we were bidding farewell to 2017, and yet, here we are doing it all again with 2018. It's been another magnificent year for cinema. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. As always, the best came towards the latter stages of the year, but, on the whole, it was a spectacular roster of bombastic blockbusters, indie darlings, foreign language wonders, and quite a few glorious surprise packages.
We film critics live a charmed life where we are blessed to see dozens and dozens of films...

Absurdist cinema is not for everyone. The directorial work of master of the bizarre Yorgos Lanthimos likely hasn't sat well with most audiences. By the same token, period films aren't exactly most people's cup of tea either. When presented with an absurdist period piece directed by Lanthimos, one may have some trepidation. Leave your apprehension at the door. It's not needed here. With his latest work, we are gifted with one of the year's most raucously glorious and wickedly delicious pieces of cinema.
Standing as Lanthimos' most accessible film...

"The following is a true story. Or as true as it can be, given that Dick Cheney is known as one of the most secretive leaders in recent history. We tried our fucking best."
That's the refreshingly honest admission placed at the beginning of Vice, the latest film from goofy-comedy-writer/director-turned-awards-season-darling Adam McKay that seeks to capture the life and times of one of the 21st centuries most bombastic yet mysterious figures, former Vice President Dick Cheney. By his own confession, McKay is openly admitting he's had to make assumptions...

It's been 54 years since Julie Andrews flew into the hearts of millions around the world with an iconic performance and a masterful film that have both stood the test of time. In what became Walt Disney's finest achievement (and that's saying something), Mary Poppins still stands as one of the studio's most beloved properties. In the interest of full disclosure, it is perhaps my favourite film of all time. It's the one that started it all for me. My love of films. My love of Disney. My love of...

There are times when a film critic is asked to review some strange pieces of cinema, but none are perhaps stranger this year than Once Upon a Deadpool, a rather bizarre holiday re-release of Deadpool 2 bereft of the swearing, sexual content, blood, and gore that's become this anti-Marvel franchise's calling card. "Why?" you may ask. Honestly, I'm really not quite sure. Since this film was plonked onto the theatrical schedule back in September, there have been a few theories.
Some have suggested this is all to do with...

Join millions of other users and venture into a sparkling virtual world filled with flashy adventures, dark corners, and an endless cameo parade of beloved pop culture characters from past and present, as the daring male protagonist battles to save this potential utopia from an unstoppable evil force. Hang on. Haven't we done that already this year? And it wasn't particularly good? Thankfully, there's much more to Ralph Breaks the Internet than the lazy nostalgia fluff and pop culture reference overload that made Ready Player One so agonisingly disappointing.
Standing as...

After an impressive and enjoyable first film, the Transformers franchise quickly became one of the most overbloated and nauseating sagas of recent times, typified by last year's nonsensical entry The Last Knight, which this film critic would have no hesitation in calling the absolute worst film of the last five (or more) years. With director Michael Bay's penchant for bigger and louder explosions and visually incomprehensible robot-on-robot warfare, each film seemed insistent on leaving its audience with a bigger migraine than its predecessor.
They served their purpose (i.e. they...

Superhero movies are a dime a dozen these days. We're reaching peak fatigue, thanks to at least half a dozen comic book adaptations being dished up every year. Marvel Studios has found its formula, which, for better or worse, they're bluntly sticking to. DC is still finding its way with a mixed bag of recent films that succeed as often as they fail (cue the wrath of DC fanboys). At this point, any superhero film that dares step outside the box feels like a rush of adrenaline to...

In 2015, writer/director Ryan Coogler resurrected the tired Rocky franchise with Creed, a spin-off/reboot/re-whatever-you-wanna-call-it that wisely shifted the focus away from Rocky Balboa and, in the process, felt like a genuine breath of fresh air. With a screenplay bursting full of life, a star-making turn from Michael B. Jordan, and breathtaking cinematography capturing dazzling fight choreography, it stood as one of that year's best films, even if the Academy didn't seem to think so. After an impressive box office result, a sequel was all but assured. With Black Panther...

The year in cinema has already yielded one female-led heist film. However, the stylish ladies of Ocean's 8 are about to be blown out of the water by the sensational ensemble cast (headed by three terrific actresses) of Widows. The latest film from Steve McQueen slyly presents itself as your everyday popcorn thriller but ultimately flips the well-worn crime caper genre right on its head. You didn't really think a filmmaker like McQueen would play it safe, did you? The heist is just one element of McQueen's complex narrative, which...